310 Account of the Northumberland Breed of Sheep, Aug. 



It may alfo be obferved, that the fuperiority of the DIfliley 

 blood was early found out by all the fheep-breeders who were 

 open to convi£lion, both in Northumberland and the Scotifh 

 Borders ; that the breed fpread in thofe diftricts, with a rapidi- 

 ty which has not perhaps been equalled in any ether part of the 

 ifland \ and does high credit to the candour of the Border breed- 

 ers in general. They foon difcovered that they clipped more 

 wool, and of a better quality, from {|)eep of this breed, than 

 from the mugs; though, indeed, they are not remarkable in 

 this refpe<fl, when compared with the Tees-water, and more 

 particularly with the old Lincolnlhire breed, which lad excels 

 every other kind we know of, in quantity of wool *. The dillin- 

 gullhing quality of the Difhley breed, and that which gives it 

 the preference to all others in the ifland, is a wonderful propen- 

 fity to fatten in a fhort time. Sheep of this kir.d, are found 

 fatter at the age of two years, than thofe of the Lincolnfliire, 

 or any other breed, when three years old. Nay, many of them 

 arc fold at the end of fifteen months, at from 45s. to 60s. per 

 heacf, and are confidered by mofl people as then far enough for 

 ufe. The keelmen, pitmen, and all fuch hard-working people, 

 however, like better to have them a year older •, and they are 

 never too fat for people of thefe defcriptions. 



The period feems to be at no great diftance, when all, or the 

 grea'* ft part of the champaign diftricls in the ifland will be 

 flocked with this invaluable breed. The fouthern parts of Eng- 

 land, however, where the farmers are weak enough to per- 

 fuade themfclves that good grain crops cannot be raifed without 

 Jheep foldings will be the iongefl in adopting the breed, or rather 

 the latell in feeing their error. All, or mofb of the midland, 

 and the whole of the northern parts, are covered with thefe 

 (lieep, or at leafl with an intermixture of the blood. Crofies 

 have alfo been tried in the Hill diftricls, and the breed feems to 



be 



that young man having died, h'-. elder brother Mr William, by crofiing 

 tlie Difuley blood again with the large Tees-water breed, lofr, or very 

 fJiuch contaminated, the valuable l-.iiid which his younger brother had 

 been at the pains and expencc of introducing. This gave the Culleys 

 2 decided advantage; as they had purfucd the Diihley blood, with zeal 

 -ind energy, from their firfl ("tarting. 



* We are well informed, that many of the Lincolnfhire breeders ufed 

 formerly to clip 12 pounds per fleece, or more, over their whole flocks 

 of ewe, weddcr, and hog •, an an;azing quantity indeed, and may per- 

 haps tempt fomc, at this time, to aim at an increafe of the quantity 

 of this article, which at prefent iclls frot?^ i :d. to I4d. per lib. and ini- 



